Weather Channel CEO Pleads With DirecTV: Let Our Customers Go

As much of the Northeast was hit with a blizzard, The Weather Channel Chief Executive David Kenny fired off a letter to DirecTV, telling the satellite-TV operator to waive termination fees for customers who want to switch to a provider that carries the weather network, reports Deadline.com.

Kenny wrote in his letter: “We have heard from viewers across the country, like Heather in Texas who wrote, ‘We just signed on with DIRECTV. … Had I known this was going to happen I would NOT have signed up. I read the fine print (too late) and found that they can do that. It’s wrong.’”

Kenny’s letter also says: “As our team of more than 220 expert meteorologists tracks winter storms, wildfires in Southern California, and many other potential weather emergencies, a prompt reply — not to me, but to your customers — would surely be appreciated.”

The letter comes after DirecTV blacked out The Weather Channel Jan. 14 after carriage talks failed. Moody’s, meanwhile, has warned that The Weather Channel’s bond rating could suffer if the dispute continues.